Adjustable Gutter Fastening Bracket

ABSTRACT

A front portion  12  of the gutter bracket may be formed with a rearwardly opening, upwardly and rearwardly curved or hooked end  16,  which is sized and shaped to engage a downwardly and inwardly turned front lip  18  of a gutter  20.  The front portion  12  may also be formed with a pair of relatively spaced apart side walls  22, 24  and with a generally planar web or base  26  extending between said side walls  22, 24.  The web or base  26  may be formed with a plurality of latch-receiving openings  28.  The rear portion  14  of the present bracket  10  may also be formed with a pair of relatively spaced apart side walls  30, 32  and with a generally planar web or base  34  extending between the side walls  30, 32.  The base  34  may be formed with a plurality of downwardly projecting pins or latches  36 . Advantageously, the web or base  34  of the rear portion  14  may be sized to nest within the base  26  of the front portion  12,  and the downwardly extending pins or latches  36  may be disposed to engage the latch-receiving openings  28  in the front portion  12  of the present bracket  10.  The rear portion  14  may also be formed with an upwardly extending, downwardly opening, inverted V-shaped end  38  defined by a pair of legs  40, 42.  The rear leg  42  may be advantageously sized and shaped to be inserted between a rear wall  44  of the gutter  20  and a supporting fascia wall  46.  In addition, the inverted V-shaped end  38  may extend upwardly a distance at least twice the height of the side walls  30, 32.  In this manner, a pair of horizontally aligned openings  48, 50  may be provided in the adjoining legs  40, 42  of the inverted V-shaped end  38  at a height sufficient to receive a fastener  52  for securing the present bracket  10  to the fascia wall  46.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application is related to U.S. Provisional Application for Patent No. 60/821,045 filed Aug. 1, 2006 and bearing the same title as the present application, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to hardware for hanging rain gutters, and more particularly to brackets adapted to support the front lip of the gutter and to be anchored at a rear end thereof to the fascia board behind the rear wall of the gutter.

In the past, channel-shaped gutter brackets have been devised to provide greater strength than nail/ferrule fasteners. Examples are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,039. Others are manufactured by Raytec Manufacturing LLC of Ephrata, Pa. However, these prior art gutter brackets have not been adjustable in length. It is believed that such a feature would be particularly helpful in repairing or reinforcing previously installed gutters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a bracket for fastening a rain gutter to a mounting surface underlying a lower front edge of roof, wherein the rain gutter has a downwardly and inwardly turned front lip. The present bracket comprises a front portion, a rear portion and cooperative connectors. The front portion is formed with a gutter lip-engaging end, a pair of laterally spaced apart rails disposed rearwardly of the lip engaging end, and a generally planar web extending between the rails. The rear portion is formed with a mounting surface-engaging end, a pair of laterally spaced apart sides adapted to slidably engage the rails of the front portion, and a generally planar base extending between the sides of said rear portion. The cooperative connectors formed in the web of the front portion and the base of the rear portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a K-type gutter attached to a fascia board by a first embodiment of the present gutter fastening bracket;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the underside of the rear portion of the bracket of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the underside of the front portion of the bracket of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper surfaces of the front portion of the bracket of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper surfaces of the rear portion of the bracket of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the underside of the rear portion of a second embodiment of the present gutter fastening bracket; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the underside of the front portion of the bracket of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIGS. 1-5, a first illustrative embodiment of the present gutter fastening bracket, generally designated 10, may comprise a front portion 12 and a rear portion 14. The present bracket 10 may be formed from an aluminum or copper alloy or from a synthetic resin material.

The front portion 12 may be formed with a rearwardly opening, upwardly and rearwardly curved or hooked end 16, which is sized and shaped to engage a downwardly and inwardly turned front lip 18 of a gutter 20. The front portion 12 of the present bracket 10 may also be formed with a pair of relatively spaced apart side walls 22, 24 and with a generally planar web or base 26 extending between said side walls 22, 24. The web or base 26 may be formed with a plurality of latch-receiving openings 28.

The rear portion 14 of the present bracket 10 may also be formed with a pair of relatively spaced apart side walls 30, 32 and with a generally planar web or base 34 extending between the side walls 30, 32. The base 34 may be formed with a plurality of downwardly projecting pins or latches 36. Advantageously, the web or base 34 of the rear portion 14 may be sized to nest within the base 26 of the front portion 12, and the downwardly extending pins or latches 36 may be disposed to engage the latch-receiving openings 28 in the front portion 12 of the present bracket 10. The pins 36 may be slightly flexible so that a friction fit may be established with the adjacent walls of the latch-receiving openings 28 and so that the front and rear portions 12, 14 may be disassembled if necessary. The number of latch-receiving openings 28 may exceed the number of downwardly projecting latches 36 so that the position of the rear portion 14 on the front portion 12 may be adjusted, thereby adjusting the overall length of the present bracket 10. The rear portion 14 may also be formed with an upwardly extending, downwardly opening, inverted V-shaped end 38 defined by a pair of legs 40, 42. The rear leg 42 may be advantageously sized and shaped to be inserted between a rear wall 44 of the gutter 20 and a supporting fascia wall 46. In addition, the inverted V-shaped end 38 may extend upwardly a distance at least twice the height of the side walls 30, 32. In this manner, a pair of horizontally aligned openings 48, 50 may be provided in the adjoining legs 40, 42 of the inverted V-shaped end 38 at a height sufficient to receive a fastener 52 for securing the present bracket 10 to the fascia wall 46.

In operation, the length of the present bracket 10 is adjusted so that the hooked end 16 of the front portion 12 engages the gutter lip 18 and the rear leg 40 of the rear portion 14 engages the supporting fascia wall 46. The pins 36 in the rear portion 14 are inserted into the latch-receiving openings 28 of the front portion 12 which enable the foregoing positions to be maintained, and the base 34 of the rear portion 14 engages the base 26 of the front portion. A screw or other fastener 52 is then inserted through the aligned openings 48 50 in the inverted v-shaped end 38 of the rear portion 14 and is driven into the supporting fascia board 46. This procedure is followed with additional spaced apart brackets 10 until the gutter 20 is fully secured to the fascia board 46.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a second illustrative embodiment of the present gutter fastening bracket, generally designated 100, may comprise a front portion 112 and a rear portion 114. The present bracket 100 may be formed from steel or aluminum alloy and may be thinner than the bracket 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1-5.

The front portion 112 may be formed with a rearwardly opening, upwardly and rearwardly curved or hooked end 116, relatively spaced apart side walls 122, 124 and with a generally planar web or base 126 extending between said side walls 122, 124 much like the front portion 12 illustrated in FIGS. 1-5. However, instead of the web or base 126 may be formed with a plurality of latch-receiving openings, it may be formed with a plurality of dimples 128 forming concavities on the upper surface thereof.

The rear portion 114 of the present bracket 100 may also be formed with a pair of relatively spaced apart side walls 130, 132 and with a generally planar web or base 134 extending between the side walls 130, 132. The base 134 may be formed with a plurality of downwardly projecting dimples 136 forming concavities on its upper surface. Advantageously, the web or base 134 of the rear portion 114 may be sized to nest within the base 126 of the front portion 112 or vice versa, and the downwardly extending dimples 136 may be disposed to engage the upper surface concavities of the dimples 28 in the front portion 12, or vice versa. The front and rear portions 112, 114 may be secured in place by a wing nut or carriage bolt 152 extending through a close-fitting opening 156 and an elongated opening 154 in the front and rear portions 112, 114. 

1. A bracket for fastening a rain gutter to a mounting surface underlying a lower front edge of roof, said rain gutter having a downwardly and inwardly turned front lip, said bracket comprising: a front portion formed with a gutter lip-engaging end, a pair of laterally spaced apart rails disposed rearwardly of the lip engaging end, and a generally planar web extending between the rails; a rear portion formed with a mounting surface-engaging end, a pair of laterally spaced apart sides adapted to slidably engage the rails of the front portion, and a generally planar base extending between the sides of said rear portion; and cooperative connectors formed in the web of the front portion and the base of the rear portion.
 2. The bracket according to claim 1, wherein the web extends rearwardly from the gutter lip-engaging end.
 3. The bracket according to claim 1, wherein the gutter lip-engaging end is upwardly and rearwardly curved.
 4. The bracket according to claim 1, wherein the positions of the front and rear portions are adjustable relative to one another.
 5. The bracket according to claim 1, wherein the base of the rear portion is formed with a plurality of downwardly projecting pins.
 6. The bracket according to claim 5, wherein the web of the front portion is formed with a plurality of latch-receiving openings.
 7. The bracket according to claim 6, wherein the base of the rear portion is sized to nest within the web of the front portion
 12. 8. The bracket according to claim 7, wherein the downwardly extending pins of the rear portion are disposed to engage the latch-receiving openings of the front portion.
 9. The bracket according to claim 8, wherein the pins are slightly flexible.
 10. The bracket according to claim 8, wherein the number of latch-receiving openings exceeds the number of downwardly projecting latches.
 11. The bracket according to claim 1, wherein the rear portion is formed with an upwardly extending, downwardly opening, inverted V-shaped end defined by a pair of legs.
 12. The bracket according to claim 11, wherein the a rearmost leg is sized and shaped to be inserted between a rear wall of the gutter and the mounting surface.
 13. The bracket according to claim 12, wherein the inverted V-shaped end extends upwardly a distance at least twice the height of the side walls.
 14. The bracket according to claim 1, wherein the web of the front portion and the base of the rear portion are formed with a plurality of downwardly extending dimples forming concavities on the upper surfaces thereof.
 15. The bracket according to claim 14, wherein the downwardly extending dimples on one of the front and rear portions are disposed to engage at least one of the concavities on the upper surface of the other of said front and rear portions.
 16. The bracket according to claim 15, wherein the front and rear portions are secured together by a fastener through a close-fitting opening in one of said front and rear portions and an elongated opening in the other of said front and rear portions. 